Book excerpt: Finally, a simple and easy way to tackle the toughest topic of all... MONEY. It's the taboo topic nobody wants to broach, the elephant in everyone's living room. Not surprisingly, talking about money is a major cause of strife in U.S. households today. Planning for a family's future often prompts a total breakdown in communication, causing lasting damage. Research indicates that a staggering 70 percent of heirs lose their money, assets, and family harmony in the aftermath of estate transfers. This brilliant new book is about to change all that. Radio personality and financial advisor Lori Sackler has devoted her professional career to solving the financial problems plaguing families today. Here she introduces a set of groundbreaking tools for anyone who needs to discuss money with loved ones. She shows families how to communicate about money matters through all of life's transitions--changes in financial circumstances, remarriage and merging families, retirement, preparing heirs, and transferring wealth. The M Word will literally change the way your family views, spends, and transfers assets, wealth, and family values. You'll learn how to approach the thorniest of subjects without anxiety or stress, and your family will reap the benefits of secure financial planning for generations to come. Using the author’s five-step action plan to successfully prepare for, initiate, and execute the "money talk," you'll be able to: Understand why the money talk is crucial and challenging for families Tackle the issues that accompany wealth transfers and life's transitions Overcome the roadblocks that can keep families from communicating Prepare yourself and your family--logistically and psychologically--for the money talk Create a process for repeated talk that can keep your family and finances intact The M Word shows you and your family how to negotiate all aspects of financial planning for all generations--without stress or worry. Praise for The M Word "[M]akes a compelling argument for having 'the money talk.'" -- The New York Times "Lori Sackler's advice on overcoming the money taboo will not only help families successfully transfer wealth and deal with all of life's transitions, but actually become happier in the process." -- Shawn Achor, author of the international bestseller The Happiness Advantage "Lori Sackler masterfully delivers honest, timeless, and highly useful guidance that will help investors and their families successfully navigate crucial life transitions and financial decisions." -- David M. Darst, CFA, Chief Investment Strategist, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management "The M Word should be on the bookshelf of every parent looking for guidance on how to talk to the next generation about money." -- Eileen Gallo, PhD, and Jon Gallo, authors of Silver Spoon Kids "The M Word will take you by the hand and give you what it takes to survive and thrive financially during these trying times." -- Joan Hamburg, WOR Radio "Lori Sackler provides many insights about how families can cope with the financial dimensions of what she calls 'life's transitions.'" -- Richard C. Marston, Director of Wharton's Private Wealth Management Program "Families can spare themselves a lot of heartache by reading The M Word." -- Gail Saltz, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, The New York Presbyterian Hospital "I'm ordering books for my sons and stepsons so we can have the 'money talk' Lori's book encourages." -- Martin M. Shenkman, estate planning attorney and author